FEMA surveys storm damage in Kennebec County as Maine prepares disaster declaration request

MONMOUTH, Maine (WMTW) - Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are in Maine this week surveying damage from December’s powerful storm, which left thousands without power for several days.

While state leaders are trying to calculate the total cost of all the damage, homeowners such as Richard Towle are still trying to clean up.

“It hit that tree and then bounced down and hit the bathroom and my boys’ room,” Towle said, pointing to what was left of a massive tree in his backyard.

On Dec. 18, multiple trees slammed into his family’s Monmouth home.

Several of his neighbors saw similar damage.

“I had a lot of people that came and helped,” Towle said.

Officials from FEMA, along with state and local emergency management staff, saw the damage firsthand Wednesday afternoon.

The visit was one of several stops in multiple counties for FEMA this week.

It is the first step in the process to request a major disaster declaration from the federal government, which unlocks funds and other resources to help the state recover.

“We want to see all the damage that the state wants to show us, and we’re committed to being here as long as it takes to accomplish this mission,” said Diego Alvarado, FEMA’s Region 1 spokesman.

Mainers are encouraged to report property damage to 211 or online through the flood resources and assistance hub.

Doing so is not an application for individual assistance but does help state officials calculate the overall cost of damage.

The state’s website can direct people towards insurance help and other resources.

For now, Towle says neighbors are leaning on each other.

“People in the park helped out a lot. They came to clean up. They gave my son presents and gift cards,” Towle said.

Ultimately, the president will determine whether to approve Maine’s disaster declaration request.